Review Articles in 2019

The pleiotropic cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory disorders. This Review discusses MIF biology and signalling, its mechanisms of action and its involvement in rheumatic diseases, including opportunities for targeted therapies.

Pregnancy can affect the underlying disease and vice versa, and drug therapy may need to be altered before, during and after pregnancy. With careful planning, monitoring and treatment, most women with inflammatory rheumatic diseases can have successful pregnancies.

A series of successive failures of new therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in clinical trials has left clinicians with limited options to treat this disease. Could any of the therapies currently in development offer hope for patients with SLE?

Hyperuricaemia is a risk factor for gout, and mouse models of this condition can help dissect the underlying regulatory mechanisms. However, these models come with both advantages and disadvantages, and interpreting and comparing data from these models can be challenging.

The HLA region is strongly associated with many rheumatic diseases, including inflammatory arthritis. In this Review, potential mechanisms underpinning these associations are discussed, as are the clinical implications of HLA associations for the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

Pain management is presently the focus of osteoarthritis (OA) therapy, but traditional pain-relieving drugs such as NSAIDs and glucocorticoids have limited utility. In this Review, the next generation of OA analgesics and their potential mechanisms of action are discussed.

Single-cell sequencing technologies enable transcriptomic, epigenomic and proteomic analysis of rare or heterogeneous populations of cells. In this Review, Kuo and colleagues discuss current and future uses of single-cell sequencing technologies for rheumatology research.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are being developed at a rapid pace. This Review highlights advances in our understanding of rheumatic diseases that have been gained from NGS and offers guidance to rheumatology researchers using these technologies.

B cells contribute to the pathogenesis of many rheumatic diseases. Targeting immune checkpoints that control the activation and effector function of B cells represents a promising therapeutic avenue.

Myeloid cells come in many shapes and sizes and are central to inflammatory processes. This Review puts myeloid cells and their inflammatory functions into the context of fibrosis and their contribution to pathology in systemic sclerosis.

Osteoarthritis occurs spontaneously in pet dogs, which often share environmental and lifestyle risk-factors with their owners. This Review aims to stimulate cooperation between medical and veterinary research under the One Medicine initiative to improve the welfare of dogs and humans.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressive disease characterized by unique clinical and pathological features. This Review discusses the historical and clinical aspects of IBM and the mounting evidence arguing for the important pathogenic function of the immune system.

Platelets mediate inflammatory responses by facilitating immune cell crosstalk and participating in inflammatory signalling cascades. In this Review, the authors discuss the emerging role of platelet signalling pathways in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Antibody therapeutics are a mainstay of treating patients with rheumatic diseases but are mostly basic monoclonal structures. What can the history of and modern developments in antibody technology tell us about the next generation of antibody-based therapeutics?

Many potentially disease-modifying therapies for systemic sclerosis (SSc) are under investigation in clinical and preclinical studies. Here, Volkman and Varga review the targets and purported mechanisms of action of these therapies in the context of our evolving understanding of SSc pathophysiology.

Bone turnover and risk of fracture are orchestrated by homeostatic functions of osteoclast–osteoblast bone remodelling units. Anabolic and antiresorptive drugs used to treat and prevent fractures have differing effects on remodelling defects, but which class of drug is the preferred front-line therapy?

An improved understanding of the transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the identification of those patients with psoriasis at increased risk of PsA transition are major unmet needs and important for the design of preventive trials.

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) remains highly challenging to diagnose and treat. This Review describes current understanding of its pathogenesis, along with novel therapies and diagnostic tools that could eventually improve the management of NPSLE.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is a leading cause of low back pain. Endogenous progenitor cells are still being fully characterized but hold promise for future regeneration strategies.

Improved understanding of cell migration in the synovial joint, including the associated cellular and environmental factors, might reveal new therapeutic strategies for joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and have important implications for tissue engineering of the joint.